


Sempiternum

by Exaigon



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Astral Intervention, Bahamut (Final Fantasy XV) Being a Jerk, Canonical Character Death, Fix It, Healer Ardyn, Hopeful Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mother Hen Noctis, Noctis is Izunia, Shiva Says Screw you Bahamut, Time Loop, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24725371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exaigon/pseuds/Exaigon
Summary: Shiva grows tired of Bahamut's manipulations and buckles down to throw a pebble into the stream of time. That pebble happens to be Noctis who is so not down for Bahamut's bull either. It would have been nice to have a little warning, though. And maybe it would have been nicer if Shiva wasn't in his head causing untold amounts of migraines.
Relationships: Ardyn Izunia/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 20
Kudos: 212
Collections: Ardynoct DS





	Sempiternum

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ViolentVioletEye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViolentVioletEye/gifts).



> So this is for our Ardynoct Gift Fic Exchange in our wonderful discord server! Please join us in our own little corner of Hell! (We definitely bite but only in our fanfiction and art ;) )
> 
> https://discord.gg/ShVtVH8 
> 
> The original prompt blew me away and I spent so long tweaking and adding bits to make it run smoother but here I present: The Time travel fix-it that Violet wanted! (And if it wasn't specifically requested as a fix it it would have been much darker... hehehehe...). The original prompt will be in end notes if you're interested! Violet I really hope you enjoy this.... and the poem because I suck at them lmao

_With heart of raging hoarfrost,_

_The Glacian simmered._

_Though her body slumbered,_

_She Watched and raged._

_Unforgiving of their perfidy,_

_Mortals fell from favor._

_But there a came summer’s day_

_When a Healer arose._

_Never had she seen a mortal_

_With Compassion enough_

_To rival the warming fires_

_Of her beloved Ifrit._

_She set tests and trials,_

_Full of temptations_

_And nightmares._

_Each he overcame,_

_Unaware and blissful._

_A soft heart in a cruel world._

_She watched, heart melting,_

_As he threw himself_

_Unto the fire to save the People._

_He bled for them._

_Until too much he took upon himself_

_And treachery abound._

_In the end, he bled oily black,_

_Choking in despair._

_And Shiva was powerless to save him,_

_Bound by exhaustion._

_She wept bitter tears of salty rime_

_And abjured the prophecy._

_Faith shattered once again,_

_The Glacian schemed._

_Her heart still veiled in subtle warmth,_

_She gathered power to_

_Defy the stalwart Bladekeeper_

_And save her new Beloved._

* * *

Noctis was confused. Okay, confused didn’t quite cover the whirling thoughts and nausea or the painful ache caused by an unknown voice pounding like a drum in the back of his head. But there really wasn’t a word that covered enough to explain it. There were flashes too, of emotion, colors, even images that definitely weren’t his. Things he couldn’t explain, didn’t really want to.

It could have been a minute or even an eternity before he gathered himself together enough to even spare any effort into pushing off the dirt. Though his mind was still in a jumble, he at least remembered that it was Gentiana’s fault so he had someone to curse at as he peeled himself off the floor and onto hands and knees trying not to vomit.

“Bitch,” he wheezed, tucking his head between his arms.

He felt like the guys should have been protesting whatever had been done to him but there was only ringing silence aside from the internal garbled screaming. His head felt like it would explode every time he’d lift it. And forget about opening his eyes, that only led to light blades trying to gouge out his pupils. So, he stayed there, half propped for even longer, miserably hoping someone would come along and absolve his pain.

Until someone did. It was the barely recognizable tread of a chocobo’s feet that caught his attention. Then there was a startled voice, words unrecognizable, followed by the heavy thud of a person dismounting.

Noctis moaned as the voice spoke up again, the aching in his head growing exponentially worse -how was that even possible?- until it was like a blanket of white covering his own screams.

Then, “-okay? Can you hear me?”

Noctis answered with a weary grunt.

“Hold on. I don’t know what’s wrong but I’ll try to fix it.”

It was warm. A heat akin to a blanket, or a hot chocolate, washing down from his head to the rest of him. The aches immediately faded, the mess of his head calmed, and Noctis could think straight again. With a deserved wariness, he blinked open blue eyes and revelled in the fact that it didn’t hurt.

“Is that better?”

Oh. Someone had helped him. That’s right.

Noctis, with minor difficulty and a helping hand, managed to sit back on his heels and look around. While still in a forest, there was no Wiz’s Chocobo Post and none of his friends. But there was a scruffy looking man crouching next to him with warm honey eyes that looked strangely familiar and caused a sudden heat in his chest. Suddenly, his mouth was dry and those images of before were back stronger than before.

He knew this man. 

He was The Healer, with a heart so kind he was killing himself to save his own people. But he was also The Chancellor, the reason for Niflheim winning the war and the sudden resurgence of Scourge on Eos. He was Adagium, betrayed by his own kin and locked away for two millennia and he was Accursed, chosen unwilling sacrifice of Bahamut’s prophecy. He was… Beloved of Shiva who was desperate to save him ( _and Luna_ a small memory whispered) and prevent the future tragedies she had divined.

There was bile in his throat, a vice around his lungs, and tremors in his limbs.

He knew _everything._

A small voice in the back of his mind, the only thing standing against the tide of Shiva’s, _an Astral’s_ , memories, cursed the Glacian for putting him here. Cursed her again and again for laying these expectations at his feet, showing him the truth behind Ardyn Lucis Caelum and The Chosen King of Stone, for giving her love for this man to him.

Then his eyes rolled back in his head forcing Ardyn to catch him with a yelp.

* * *

When he next awoke, the tears wouldn’t stop. They fell like rivers burning his eyes enough that even closing them did nothing. But worse than that, he’d worried the Healer who’d set up camp right where he’d fallen and watched over him faithfully.

Their fates were cruel. The Astral’s had the power to fight the Scourge and they did nothing. Instead creating an age old prophecy that forced a good man into suffering and sacrificed another. Noctis rather hated Bahamut now.

_O’King of Stone, Hear me._

“Can you at least tell me if anything hurts?”

Bleary blue eyes focused on the unkempt ancient prince of the Lucis Caelum line, wondering for a moment if he’d look like that if he would have been allowed to travel. The scruff on his face was thicker than his future’s version and his hair longer and more brown. His eyes were more honey than sharp gold and it made his entire face soften; nothing like the cruel amusement he’d wear later. He was in odd clothes - _common traveler’s wear for this era_ \- and quite dusty, though his hands looked cleaner than the rest of him. 

Overall, he was a very handsome man and he could definitely say that without Shiva’s feelings influencing his own. Shiva saw the person inside, not the body. And… Noctis had sort of thought he was hot when they first met him in Galdin Quay anyway.

_A Chance I have gifted_

“I’m okay,” he croaked, almost dissolving into a coughing fit at the dryness of his throat. He’d be even better if Shiva stopped trying to speak to him, causing a migraine in the process.

Ardyn frowned before reaching behind him to pull out a weird leather sack - _waterskin,_ Shiva’s memories corrected _-_ and pulled the cork from the top with one hand and helped him sit up slightly with the other. Noctis watched him hazily, tears still pouring like a fountain and elbows propped behind him, as the brunette brought the skin to his lips, nudging until they opened. It was cold and refreshing, and he drank greedily until it was pulled away.

_And now I beg of thee,_

“Slower,” Ardyn murmured. “You’ll make yourself sick.”

Noctis grunted. There was a vague memory of Iggy saying something like that somewhere but it was drowning amidst everything else stuffed in his head. The water was back and he forced himself to sip at it. He didn't want it pulled away again.

_Reject your given destiny_

When Noctis was finally sated, Ardyn helped him back down to rest on whatever soft thing he’d been able to scrounge up for a pillow. It was a bit lumpy but much better than the hard dirt he could feel beneath him. 

_And help me Save him. Save them All._

Oh. His back was going to be a bitch after this. His head was probably going to compete with it at this rate though. Literally, why would she just not stop talking?

“May I ask your name?”

He refocused on the Healer at his side, his brain promptly panicking for no reason. Instead of being reasonable and giving his actual name (because why the hell would Ardyn know him now?), he blurted out “Izunia.” 

It came from the first time Ardyn actually introduced himself to them as the Niflheim Chancellor at Meteor. He still didn’t know why he'd used that name, he could hardly muddle through the more important thoughts anyway… but it was too late now. Unless he wanted to look like a blundering fool -which he really should have done he mused later- he was stuck as Izunia.

Ardyn blinked in curiosity. His lips parted, then closed and pursed before parting again. He asked, hesitantly, “'Tis rude, I know, but may I know who your father is?”

Shiva’s memories whirled in agitation, image after image of a harsh man in olden finery competing with Noctis’ own memories of Regis. The wince must have been obvious because Ardyn immediately backed off with an awkward chuckle.

“Forget I asked, please.”

“No I- his name is- was Regis,” Noctis was able to force out. 

“My condolences.”

Now Noctis was curious. Ardyn didn’t seem to be the type to pry, at least not yet, especially with a stranger. He needed to know- “Why do you ask?”

The ancient prince hesitated for a moment, honey eyes sweeping his form. “You have… a very uncanny resemblance to my brother. I wondered- but no. 'Twas foolish and I apologize.”

His brother? _Somnus Lucis Caelum. Founder. Betrayer!_

(Was it possible to be fed this information without splitting his head in half? An interested party would like to know.)

Oh. Right. Him. 

There weren’t any portraits from this era, only statues, so no one had seen what the Founder King looked like. It was strange knowing that he looked like that man who betrayed his own brother and was... sort of disheartening. Noctis could never think to hurt his friends, let alone his family, like that.

With more effort than should be needed, the revenette brought a hand up from under the scratchy blanket to wipe at his eyes. Good. The tears had finally stopped even if they had left salty red trails on his face. Now all he needed was his head back but, honestly, that probably wasn’t happening anytime soon. At least Shiva had finally shut up for a moment.

“Do you think you’re well enough to move?”

Noctis paused, taking stock of his body. There was that strange heat pain in his lower back that led into excruciating walking pain, and it had left him much more tired than he’d like just to move his arm. But to admit to that? 

“I would at least like to make town before nightfall,” Ardyn continued. “'Tis not easy after dark nowadays. Ah, I’m Ardyn. I forgot to introduce myself. Again, my apologies for my manners.”

Shiva once again pounded him with images, ancient and new, with daemons spawning, people’s bodies slowly withering. Noctis dry heaved -almost losing his precious water- at the information onslaught. Daemons. Daemons were becoming a problem. They were previously people. And Ardyn was taking the Scourge into himself.

He knew this earlier, how could he have forgotten already with so many memories?

 _Too many,_ Shiva whispered _, Not meant for mortal minds._

There was a brief brush of feeling -an apology?- before the memories settled, some standing out more starkly, others fading back into the viper’s nest in the back of his mind.

Great. So, he had all these useful memories because he’d been shunted back in time without consent and he couldn’t even remember them? 

_When the time is right,_ the Astral whispered again, her voice a grating boom that seemed enough to make any person’s ears bleed. There was another brush of apology before silence.

Ah. That was much better. His migraine had settled into a manageable dull throb.

“Izunia?”

The man jumped, forgetting completely that there was somebody else around. It took another moment to register it was him being spoken to with a foreign name. He had a feeling he was going to regret that impulsive naming decision in the near future. “I-I’m sorry. I was just-” he struggled a moment to remember what the original question had been before answering, “I can move. But… not quickly. I have an old… spinal injury that acts up.”

Ardyn hummed, pausing in his brief packing and dropping the heavy leather saddle to the dirt next to a giant black chocobo -how in the world had he missed that giant featherball?- and walked over with a slight limp.

Noctis' brain sort of paused, focusing entirely on Ardyn’s walk. He was limping? Was he hurt? Was that because of having to spend the night out in the dark? It was really only a few feet that he’d gone while Noctis was dealing with the mess in his head, but it was far enough away for Noctis to notice when he walked back. Shiva’s memories were quiet this time, making Noctis worry. So far every question of his has been answered. Why was she silent now? _Was_ it actually his fault? 

“Here, I may be able to help ease some of the pain. Enough to get you up and walking at least. Perhaps my dear Nox will take you on his back. He has the smoothest gait so it shouldn’t trouble you further.”

The ravenette blinked, maybe hearing half of that while he was focused on the limp, and turned to look up at Ardyn as the prince crouched before him. Calloused hands settled on his arm and behind his head to help pull him into a full sitting position that made his head spin.

“Careful,” the baritone rumbled in his ear, sending a shiver throughout his entire body. Noctis huffed, pulling his uncooperative limbs into some semblance of order, bracing them on the ground as he leaned forward into Ardyn's supporting arm. Okay, so maybe he couldn’t walk. He didn’t realize until he’d sat up exactly how bad off he was. His back arched against his will, sending zinging pain up his back and down his legs. He could already tell this was going to be miserable.

“Hold for me. This might feel strange.”

Strange didn’t begin to cover it. Unlike the warm blanket of before that washed away his aches and pains, this felt almost like his back was- was… unwinding? Like the muscle fibres themselves were untangling and loosening. With each ‘knot’ untied the further he could bend forward, until finally he was resting bonelessly against the strong supporting arm in front of him. The tingles that had almost hurt before now felt soothing, pulling a breathy sigh of relief from his lips.

“Is that any better,” Ardyn asked quietly, removing his warm hand from Noctis’ lower back. 

“Yes,” he groaned happily. “Thank you.”

“Do you think you can stand now?”

Noctis lifted his head slowly to look at the Healer and the small smile upon his lips, that warmth once again filling his chest, making his heart flutter. Such Compassion in those eyes…

“I can try,” the ravenette whispered after a moment.

It took several tries, unfortunately, and Ardyn’s help before he was shakily walking on his own two legs. It was very strange to use limbs that just didn’t seem to want to respond. It wasn’t that they were sore, they just didn’t cooperate. Like his mind was sending signals but only half of them were getting through.

“Perhaps you should settle on Nox. You’re as shaky as a newborn calf,” Ardyn chuckled.

The sound made him pause. Was… he being teased? Was _Ardyn_ teasing him? His lips flapped uselessly for a moment unsure of how to respond. Unsure of why this was so groundbreaking like the previously discovered limp. With a million words stuck in his throat, Noctis was helpless and could only nod in agreement. 

Another few minutes later after the saddle was in place, he was situated on the black chocobo who did have an amazingly smooth stride.

* * *

One, two, three, four weeks passed all in the company of Ardyn Lucis Caelum. Noctis just kept following him -once he’d found his own two feet finally- and the ancient prince never asked him to leave. In fact, from what the ravenette could tell, Ardyn was glad of the company. Really, it was good he was around so much because that led to the quick discovery that Ardyn absolutely did not take care of himself. It’s not that he didn’t know how, for he took care of others, mostly the ill, just fine. But when it came to his own health it was like he didn’t care or something.

Noctis sort of felt like Ignis then. He sympathized with his friend's pain in regards to himself (He knew he was shit at caring for himself but he’d always had them to lean on. Now it was just two men who could barely function, so someone had to do it) and set about trying to take care of the idiot Healer.

Some ways worked and others didn’t. Noctis was absolute pants at foraging, managing to find all the poisonous stuff despite Gladio’s old survival lessons trying to push to the forefront. So that fell to Ardyn most days. Hunting, on the other hand, he was more than capable of, as long as it was out of earshot of the prince as he didn’t want to alert the man to his magic. Cooking he was able to do just fine as well, all of Iggy’s campfire cooking tips coming in handy. Though, he’d noticed that Ardyn liked meat about as much as Noctis liked vegetables. It worked out for both of them, switching food (even though Ardyn refused to take all the vegetables stating that _some_ of it was good for him) and being happy.

Hygiene was also an issue. One that Noctis, as a future time traveler, didn’t even realize was a problem until they were a week in with no cleaning, not even with a wet washcloth. At that point, even Noctis, who more often than not didn’t care about that stuff, was starting to feel disgusted. He forced them to find a water source and scrub down. Thankfully, Ardyn was amused and willing to cooperate with his new strict bathing regime.

And with bathing, of course, came laundry. Washing clothes everyday was just not feasible but Noctis would be damned if he would wear the same sweat stained shirt and pants for more than a few days. It was hot out here, which caused body odor and sweat galore, and that was just not sanitary. So, whenever they were around a large enough body of water, he stole the clothes and took them down for a wash. The first time it happened, Ardyn had been surprised but handed over his clothes with little fuss leaving him only in that strange loincloth wrap that functioned as underwear.

And, well, maybe the ravenette’s brain took a few moments to restart. Of course, damn his luck, Ardyn noticed. He noticed and teased him again, “I’ll let you look as long as you’d like but you’ll have to return the favor.”

Shiva’s giggles about comparing him to Ifrit’s body didn’t help.

Noctis ran like a Coeurl was nipping at his heels.

Teasing seemed to be a _thing_ with that man, too. It wasn’t very noticeable in the first week, but going into the second Noctis started to notice there would be more quips, more innuendos, and more levity inserted into every sentence. By the third week, with no sign of Noctis going anywhere, Ardyn seemed to relax completely and his personality, while still kind, became more open and inviting. Pulling you in with a little chaotic fun.

Then there was the end of the fourth week, only a few days ago, where Ardyn’s tease about being a prude for not stripping around him ever… sort of got to his head. Despite his severe embarrassment as Noctis wasn’t really one to strip in front of people due to his alabaster skin and soft muscles -no matter how hard he worked to try to define them-, he stripped his shirt in front of the man. Ardyn paused and stared making the red burn on Noctis’ cheeks almost enough to overwhelm him.

“Blessed of the Astrals,” Ardyn murmured before dropping to his knees and bending in a bow. “My conduct has been inappropriate, I apologize.”

Noctis could only stare dumbly, letting out a disgruntled, “What?”

Shiva stirred for the first time in a few days instantly reigniting a migraine, amusement swirling behind his eyes. Then an image replaced his vision for a moment, and he could see himself standing there red-faced and in glittering blue was a mark that took up his entire chest; The Glacian’s crest.

He blinked rapidly to pull himself to the present and glanced down, seeing nothing.

What the fuck?

Shiva tittered. _Seen only on my command._

What. The. Fuck.

Shiva was such a conniving bitch, he couldn’t help but think helplessly. Then he turned to more important matters -because after four weeks of the Astral dwelling in his mind he knew he couldn’t exactly do anything about her- trying to get Ardyn to get up.

He did. Eventually. After much cajoling and finally Noctis huffing, “I don’t want to be treated differently! But fine, if you won’t listen to reason, I command you get up and treat me like you saw nothing because nothing has changed!”

He might have been channeling a bit of his father’s tone in that but it seemed to work.

Now, things were just awkward. Which was an entirely horrible state for them to be in. He wanted the easy banter and teasing back, not this weirdly reverent silence. A few days of this and Noctis was already on his last rope. A few hissy fits here and there were common, and he’d definitely had one or two in this time, but it wasn’t very often that Noctis completely flipped out. He just wasn’t that kind of guy but Ardyn seemed hellbent on forcing him into a full blown screaming fit.

So, with very little to lose, he asked if they could camp for the night, mentally bolstering his barriers and trying to calm his temper. Ardyn instantly agreed, as he had been doing with basically every request since Shiva had decided to be a bitch… well, an even bigger bitch.

“Good. Now that we’re set for the night. I need you to sit. And I need you to actually listen. Can you do that?”

Ardyn frowned a bit at the patronizing tone but nodded and moved to sit before the fire that was still slowly starting on the kindling. Nox settled behind the man but Noctis remained upright, pacing. With a swift about face, he directed his chilly blue eyes onto the Healer.

“I have asked you multiple times to treat me as you did before, as a normal person, and yet you can’t even manage that much. No,” he paused and mentally reordered his thoughts. This wasn’t about disparaging anyone yet. “I started wrong but that doesn’t make my previous point any less valid. Ardyn… How do you feel about the people treating you like a prince?”

He knew exactly how the man felt. He hated it, didn’t want anything to do with it. He’d rather focus on healing the people than have his lineage brought to the fore. If Noctis hadn’t the memories of an Astral, he never would have recognized the man as royalty until one random villager had called him Highness, prompting Ardyn to swiftly shoot that down and ask to be treated like normal.

Still, he wanted the man to answer for himself, so he waited.

“I-I would rather they not treat me like… Oh.”

“Yes, oh. Whether or not I am favored by an Astral means nothing to me. I would rather be Izunia, Ardyn’s traveling companion. So please, I am begging you- Before you run me off with all that reverential shit, treat me how you did before. I want to be your friend, not a lonely icon on a pedestal.”

Ardyn licked his lips turning his face towards the fire. “My apologies again. I didn’t really think- I suppose I should have.”

 _Humility is good,_ Shiva hummed. _Willful ignorance is damaging. Be careful of the line lest you cross it, O’King of Stone._

Noctis only groaned, grabbing his head and trying to block out the now painful light of the fire. That, of course, prompted Ardyn into trying to help him with his constant migraine problem. He wondered what the man would think if he knew it was because an Astral was constantly making snarky comments in his head and running an unneeded commentary.

The next day was still a bit awkward but it smoothed out quickly enough and they were back to traveling with lighthearted laughter. It was extremely relieving. 

So, they continued for another month. Another month of Noctis watching the aftermath of Ardyn taking the scourge into himself. Another month before Noctis temper frayed again because this self-sacrificing idiot wouldn’t even slow down. Suddenly, Shiva’s worry and pain made a lot more sense. But without the Ring of the Lucii and no actual power from Shiva, just her memories and voice, Noctis was powerless to help him. The best he could do was stem the pain with crafted potions, which Ardyn himself taught him how to make. (Convenient and delightfully simple.) Well, mostly anyway. Noctis crafted the base but Ardyn supplied the needed magic since he was still hiding his own.

Why was he hiding it again? Oh. Right. Religious bullshit.

It was during this time of friendly bonding that Noctis fell hard. Shiva may have made him look at the person on the inside, may have pushed her own love onto him, but she didn’t force anything beyond that. It was all Ardyn; his cheesy dorkiness, his smile when he got Noctis to blush, the way his eyes lightened after helping someone, the painfully selfless core of his personality, the crinkle in the corner of his eyes when he laughed. All of it. Noctis loved every single thing about Ardyn even when it frustrated him to tears.

Ones that he never showed, instead silently weeping frosty trails down his cheeks in the middle of the night when there was no one but Shiva to hear him and add her own bitterness to the mix.

Instead of agonizing over what he could not do -convince the man to stop, he would never stop, not till he was a twisted version of himself seeking only revenge- he focused on what he _could_ do. Every time Ardyn would heal someone, he would be there for the aftermath. He would clean him, and dress him. He would brush and braid his hair (Thanks Iris for the lessons) to keep it out of the way. He would take over care of Nox, brushing the bird down and settling him in for his meals. He would set up camp and go hunting, cook the food and even feed it to the man if he was too weak to do it himself.

Ardyn protested, of course. He was too kind of a soul to allow someone to do all the work like that but Noctis put his foot down. If Ardyn was going to heal and drain himself to nothing, Noctis would take care of him. It was the least he could do for him. Especially considering the future…

That was something he tried not to dwell on. Shiva sent him here to change the past so he was damn well going to try. 

Then Ardyn announced it was time to go back to the kingdom. It had been such a long time since he had spoken with his fiance and his brother. Noctis brain caught onto fiance and would not let go. Images of a woman so similar to Luna burst in front of his eyes, followed by her death and the trigger for Ardyn’s fall into daemonification.

 _Chosen Oracle,_ Shiva hummed quietly. _Ardent follower of the Bladekeeper._

Fiance. He was… engaged. Noctis swallowed roughly, forcing himself to agree past the painful heartache.

It was another two weeks back, with very little healing needed. But the reason why wasn't exactly a good thing. The closer they got to the castle, the more piles of burned bodies they discovered.

“Somnus’ way of dealing with the Starscourge is cruel,” Ardyn sighed sadly as they passed another large pile on the outside of a small village.

Cruel but effective, Noctis couldn’t help but think. One man against the tide of daemons that ran amok in this time was like a tiny fish trying to stand against Leviathan’s tide. Useless. Perhaps there were a few saved but most wouldn’t make it. Even if Noctis somewhat agreed with Somnus in this case, that didn’t make it any less brutal. It wasn’t something he would be able to stomach doing as a ruler himself either. Still, he couldn’t help the tiny shard of gratefulness that Somnus was taking away cases from Ardyn so he wasn’t able to exhaust himself as much.

By the time the two of them reached the city surrounding the castle, Ardyn was back to almost perfectly healthy. He still needed to take it slow on a long march but otherwise seemed to be in perfect health.

“Let me introduce you to Aera and Somnus,” Ardyn laughed. “They will love you, I’m positive!”

“As long as you don’t introduce me as Astral Blessed.” Because that would be a level of hell he didn’t want to deal with. These people were way more religious than folks in his own time. He didn’t need to be put in the spotlight like that, thank you very much. He was here for Ardyn not anyone else.

“Hm. I suppose I have it in me to withhold such precious information.”

Noctis snorted as they made their way through the city gates. Then it was just crowds of people pushing and shoving, all trying to touch their prince. Noctis yelped, his voice swallowed in the sudden crowd as he was dragged away from Ardyn’s side. The prince fared much better as he was on Nox, but his joviality faded into a smiling mask quickly.

Within no time at all, with no warning about the sudden clamor, Noctis was knocked over, shoved to the roughly cobbled stone streets and he curled to protect his vital organs. It must have taken less than a minute before there was a warbling cry and Nox was crouching directly over him as protection.

Ardyn was talking loudly to be heard over the crowds. “My people, please. Be careful. You have trodden on a dear friend of mine in your haste!”

And then he could breath, the crowd backing away quickly and quieting. Ardyn hopped down to help him to his feet, brushing his hair from his eyes with such a worried tender look that it made the ravenette’s heart skip a beat. “Are you alright?”

“Yea. Fine,” he breathed, mesmerized by his savior’s honey eyed warmth.

Ardyn chuckled, “Then why don’t you ride Nox instead, hm?”

He nodded, giving the bird a scritch in thanks before hopping up on the saddle. From here he could see much more, the crowds of people extending further than he thought, filling all the nooks and crannies. Had they all known Ardyn was coming back? There’s no way they could have swarmed so quickly otherwise right? And, oh Astrals, they were all staring at him now. He took a moment to compose his face, channeling his dad’s regal posture and solemn regality. He noticed Ardyn eyeing him curiously and turned with a raised brow. The brunette smirked at him before turning and leading Nox through the crowds and giving flowery words of encouragement and praise to his people.

Finally, they reached a bridge with some guards standing post and the people dispersed. Noctis let out a small sigh of relief, allowing his back to slouch again. Holding that posture was actually a lot harder than his dad made it seem. 

… He wondered what his old man would think about this situation? Would he find it funny? Be happy Shiva was trying to subvert the prophecy?

“Ah. Here we are.” Ardyn’s voice sounded bitterly wistful as he reached the castle door and stopped. 

“You gonna be okay,” Noctis asked as he was helped down off of Nox, wincing a bit as it agitated some new bruises. Damn, if they hurt now, they were really going to hurt tomorrow.

Ardyn gave him a weary smile. “Do not worry so, Izunia. You'll give yourself wrinkles.”

“You mean like you,” he bit out petulantly. 

It made the prince laugh pleasantly, “Just so. Come now. Aera and Somnus should be waiting in the throne room.”

They left Nox with the guards to be stabled and continued inside where there were opulent paintings and lit torches lining the walls despite it still being midday. They were probably there because the innards of the stone beast had no windows and would be otherwise covered in darkness. There were only two of these hallways they had to pass through, each decorated the same, before they came to two heavy wooden doors carved with the likeness of the Hexatheon with Bahamut above the rest of them in the center. His lips twitched down at the reminder of the Bladekeeper and his superiority complex.

Ardyn pushed the door open with very little effort (maybe they weren’t as heavy as they seemed?) and flung his arms wide just in time to catch Aera Mirus Fleuret as she wrapped her own arms around his neck. The sight that might have otherwise been heartwarming, made Noctis’ stomach curdle with nausea. He couldn’t break them up for his own selfish love no matter what Shiva might desire. But he also couldn’t stand by and watch the happy couple reunion.

He turned away, focusing on the only other person in the room, besides the guards, taking in the figure of Somnus. Betrayer and ambitious younger brother. Founder King of Insomnia.

He couldn’t see what Ardyn meant about uncanny resemblance. Sure, there could be a family resemblance, more so than with Ardyn at any rate, but Somnus was paler than even Noctis (and that was saying something). His chin was more square and his eyes were narrower. And there was a sneer curling on his lips that twisted his features unflatteringly as he gazed at Noctis that the ravenette readily returned.

He didn’t like this man, memory bias be damned. He seemed like an A-grade asshole and they hadn’t even spoken yet. That tiny thread of gratefulness shriveled and died a quick pitiful death.

“And what rabble have you dragged amongst us now, Ardyn?”

Oh, yeah. Even his voice was grating. This stay was not going to be fun.

Ardyn, completely caught up in his blonde fiance was a bit startled by the hostility in his brother’s voice. He turned, eyeing the matching sneers of Noctis and Somnus and cleared his throat lightly. “This is Izunia. He has been a dear traveling companion for months now. Izunia this is my younger brother, Somnus Lucis Caelum, and my fiance, Aera Mirus Fleuret.”

“A pleasure,” Noctis drawled, being sure to draw upon his most bratty royal voice that could be mustered.

“Indeed,” Somnus returned just as mockingly.

Aera blinked at them both with two wide blue eyes before grinning pleasantly and giving a small bow to Noctis. Much more pleasantly than his greeting with Somnus, he returned it.

“You’ve never had a person travel with you that you don’t object to, Ardyn! You need to tell me all about him,” Aera giggled quietly. 

Noctis twitched. He could talk about himself just fine, thank you. But it was interesting to know that Ardyn didn’t normally allow people to travel with him. It took a month for him to find out about being Astral Blessed so it couldn’t have been that… Now he was curious.

“Ah, yes. Another time, my dear. We’ve been on the road a long while. T’would be nice to situate ourselves.”

“And where exactly are you putting him, Ardyn,” Somnus cut in, a heavy frown on his lips. “You cannot just let people into the castle!”

Ardyn was frowning now, fully facing his brother. “Pray tell, why not? T’is _my_ castle little brother. Until the Gods commune who is to be the Chosen King, I am still the Lucis Caelum heir.”

Somnus was obviously biting back words as he sealed his lips and spun from the room with heavy steps. Noctis shifted, finally able to move without feeling that uncomfortable scrutiny.

“I am truly sorry, Izunia. I had hoped my brother- ah, well, alas, I shall speak to him again on the morrow when he has calmed. For now, come. Let us wash the dirt from our skin and allow _the maids_ to handle our clothes.”

Noctis didn’t miss the emphasis on maids and childishly stuck his tongue out, still feeling jittery with aggression. Aera gasped in delight, both hands coming up to cover her mouth while Ardyn let out a booming laugh.

“Yea, yea. Hack it up. Anyway, are they gonna freak out about my clothes like you did?”

That had been a funny memory. During the second day of Noctis being awake and on Nox, Ardyn had brought up the state of his clothes. He had never before seen something so intricate and outlandish. Noctis had a mini panic attack (Shiva basically doing her own version of laughing her ass off as he’d figure out later) before blurting out that it was from his mother who had interests in foreign lands. It was a horrible horrible lie but the prince seemed to accept it asking more and more questions that Noctis couldn’t answer, until he once again blurted that his mother was dead.

Well, that had gotten him to back right off with wide eyes and more apologies on his lips. Ardyn never brought up his freakish clothes again and neither did Noctis.

“What a strange way of speaking,” Aera exclaimed.

Ardyn responded happily, “Isn't it just? And, yes Izunia. "Tis likey there’ll be gossip but you’ll hear nothing from them but titters in the hallways.”

“Great,” he grunted exasperatedly. Just what he needed. But, whatever. If they weren’t going to confront him about it then he could deal with the staring and the giggling. It’s not like he hadn’t had to deal with that walking down the hallways of his high school anyway.

\----

Three weeks. That was already two weeks too many that they’d spent here. 

Aera was quite pleasant, which made it really hard to dislike her. She was always ready to share in a conversation and seemed quite eager to hear about where they’d both traveled to. She was courteous and kind, upbeat but a little childish, and most important of all she loved Ardyn. Besides the jealousy harboured in his heart, Noctis had absolutely no reason to dislike her, which was a shame really. It would have made things so much easier.

Somnus, though, well he was exactly what he thought he’d be plus a superiority complex on top. Which was probably the worst combination a person could have. When Ardyn was around at least he kept his sneering to a minimum. When he wasn’t, well, Noctis had a few new bruises from being knocked into a wall by a passing royal snot. (And he thought himself to be bratty. Yeesh.)

The first time it had happened wasn’t a big deal, the second? He’d almost reacted instinctively with a drawn sword which would have outed his magic. That was when he got to meet Gilgamesh. Yes, that Gilgamesh, who according to Shiva was sworn to protect the Lucis Caelum line (though he was far more partial to Somnus after Ardyn had rejected him time and again) and was cursed by Ardyn’s Will when he first ‘died’. The curse was not obviously apparent until Gilgamesh just... didn’t die. Oh, he still aged under that mask (becoming nothing more than dust and spirit by the time Cor fought him), but age could not kill him because Ardyn had sworn to do it himself with his ‘dying’ breath. So long as Ardyn lived, so too did Gilgamesh as the warrior was too proud to allow himself to fall in battle.

With that interesting history lesson shoved into his head upon their first meeting, Noctis was too dazed to stop being tossed aside -again- as the royal and his Shield continued down the hallway. 

So, his time there was curdled by jealousy and royal Somnus snits. Ardyn tried his best once he noticed how miserable his guest was, but there wasn’t much the man could do. He had to focus on catching up on important duties and trying to argue with his brother about how to handle the Scourge.

And boy were those arguments something to dread. Multiple times he’d heard, hallways away and through a thick door, both brothers shouting to the high heavens about how to handle the Scourge. Somnus was all for torching everyone and everything that might have come in contact with it. Ardyn, predictably, wanted to save as many as possible. It was quite annoying how logical Somnus was about the whole thing, too. As horrifically snooty as the man was, Somnus was quite the tactical genius and Noctis found that the earlier feeling of agreeing with the younger brother came back.

Even Shiva had something to say about it!

_Fire cleanses so creation may begin anew. And yet, ‘tis not the fire capturing mortal hearts._

Which was true. Ardyn was very obviously the more well-liked of the two and Noctis was specifically in this time for him. He’d stand by Ardyn no matter how he disagreed with him.

And then came the most explosive fight the two had had, involving swords and even magic that busted the throne room spectacularly.

As soon as the words, “Perhaps that common pet of yours should be held to teach you a lesson,” left Somnus’ mouth in a fit of peak, Ardyn responded in a fiery fury. It didn’t hurt that the man had been making snide comments about Aera as well, saying ‘they’d be perfect together in a ramshackle hut’ and ‘the Oracle is fated to be shackled to such a disappointing failure’.

Noctis was there for the entire thing; start to finish. He might have even gotten involved if Gilgamesh’s heavy bulk hadn’t stood in his way. Good thing he was there to prevent the Shield from getting involved as well.

He learned two things that day. One: Somnus’ head was so far up his own ass (despite his military genius) that he could see nothing but himself and the throne he wanted to perch his cheeks on. Two: Ardyn was actually a badass. Fighting was not his main forte but he kicked his little brother’s hide up and down the stone room until the thirty year old left in a towering rage.

At the end of the third week, the day right after the fight, Ardyn abdicated -unless the Astrals decreed otherwise- feeling that as a ruler, he should never have given into such a base display of emotion that could have hurt, not only his brother, but also Noctis who’d kept carefully to the sidelines. Somnus had been caring for his duties in the castle for such a long while now that there was no fear the kingdom would be run into the ground. His brother, despite the burnings, was a good ruler, better than himself so far.

Noctis mentally called him a coward but followed him silently anyway. At least this way, Ardyn could not be forced to completely hand over everything.

Unwilling to risk having the guard called on them as they ended up sneaking out against Somnus’ wishes, -which was ridiculous because Ardyn was still a prince- they were forced to leave Nox behind. And back to healing they went, this time traveling in secrecy so as not to draw Somnus’ attention. Somnus who wanted his brother to swear off the throne entirely no matter what the Astrals said. Like the man had any right to go against the gods like that.

The people adored Ardyn, though, proclaiming him to be their true King, and helpfully supplied him as much as they could spare while happily hiding him from any patrols. Noctis fell easily back into the role of the caretaker (still feeling very strangely like a lesser version of Ignis… Astrals, did he miss his friends!). Except Ardyn degraded much more quickly than before. His veins were starting to turn black, the sclera of his eyes soon following and that old familiar gold was starting to creep into the honey after each healing session.

Noctis felt a little helpless. He could try to talk Ardyn into leaving, but the man, despite not wanting the throne, was ready to wait until his duty was laid before him. And he’d refuse to leave people to suffer as well. It was quite frustrating and the tears came more often than not anymore. This was so far beyond anything that he’d expected in his lifetime and near constantly now he was feeling out of his depth; a child stumbling around in a bramble thicket full of thorns.

“Izunia?” The ravenette looked up from making dinner, now instinctively reacting his stupidly chosen name, pushed his maudlin thoughts to the background. “I-I appreciate that you’re still here.”

That was entirely random and it left him speechless. What exactly was he supposed to say to that? You’re welcome? I’m only doing it to try to prevent a nasty future? I can’t bear to lose you, I love you?

Instead, he kept his mouth shut, ignoring the red on his cheeks and gave a brief nod of acknowledgment before turning back to the food.

The silence lasted the rest of the night.

* * *

Though he never stopped in his care, Noctis found that he was constantly at a loss for words in the next few months. Every little thing Ardyn did hurt. It was a bittersweet agony, a pressure in his chest that kept building, that wouldn’t relent. Loving Ardyn was an exquisite torture that he wouldn’t-couldn’t give up. 

He’d tried talking to the man about running away, leaving it all behind them, but the prince wouldn’t hear a word. So he tried a different path, approaching Aera on her second visit after she’d visited some ruins with her fiance, explaining his worries as best he could; how Ardyn was killing himself, how Somus was out to truly hurt them. She only smiled at him and said, “The Crystal will choose soon.”

That was it. 

For the first time he felt a strong dislike of her that didn’t relate at all to his still howling jealousy. He wanted to yell and scream at her, his temper at the very edge of its limits, but he bit his tongue, thanked her for her time and stalked away.

Ardyn, of course, noticed how Noctis' silence grew longer, how his teasing dimmed and grew more bitter, how he started skirting topics, how his migraines grew more intense as Shiva grew worried and shoved memory after memory at him of the future and the suffering of Adagium. Noctis knew that he knew. There wasn’t much to be done about it. He hated how his disquiet was twisting him into something he wasn’t; a tightly knotted spring just about ready to snap back at even the slightest hint of more pressure. He didn’t want to take out his pain on other people; _it was just so hard not to_.

In the end, about four months after they’d fled the castle, in the middle of one of Ardyn’s post healing breakdowns, Noctis snapped.

“I can’t watch this anymore! All you’re doing is self-destructing! You’re not taking anyone else’s thoughts into account-”

“You mean your thoughts,” Ardyn cut in heavily.

“My thoughts, the thoughts of your people! Ardyn this is killing you! One man alone cannot hope to heal everything-”

“So what? You’d prefer Somnus-”

“Don’t put words into my mouth,” Noctis roared. “And stop cutting me off! If yelling is what it takes to get you to _listen,_ then so be it!” (Is this how Gladio sometimes felt? Astrals he felt sorry for ever causing his friends trouble.)

“Yelling only makes you sound childish,” the prince muttered, turning his face away. Who was the childish one now? 

Noctis sucked in a sharp breath, face turning red from the effort of holding back. Ardyn wasn’t exactly wrong but there was nothing else he could do- 

No. There was one thing. One thing he hadn’t brought up since it was first discovered. One thing he tried to avoid thinking about no matter how difficult it was with her in his head.

“Fine,” he sighed explosively. “Will you listen to an Astral Blessed? If I command you to stop will you?”

The frown on the brunette’s face grew deeper, his glittering eyes turning back towards Noctis’ form outlined in the heavy red of sunset.

“You say you aren’t a Blessed One and yet you try to hold it over me now?”

“I never claimed I wasn’t one,” he growled, frustrated. “I said I didn’t want it to change anything! I don’t want to be worshipped. I just wanted-” He stopped, not quite gone enough to admit his feelings to the object of his affection. Even if his feelings weren’t entirely his then, he still _felt them_. They still affected his decisions. He wasn’t stupid enough to deny that but he also wasn’t going to admit it either.

“Prove it then. Show me the magic of a Chosen and I will consent to… listening.”

Fine. He could do that. He’d not used his magic -despite several temptations- to hide his connections to the Lucis Caelum line but if he could just blame it on Shiva… Well, that worked out just fine for him.

With a flash of crystalline blue, the heavy weight of the Engine Blade settled in his palm. He found it easier than he’d thought to readjust to the heavier blade, even though now much more used to the common soldier’s sword they picked up for him almost a year ago. With not a tremor to be seen, he lifted the blade and pointed it straight at Ardyn’s throat.

Stuffing all the solemnity and fury he could fit into his voice without it cracking, he pronounced, “As the Blessed Chosen of Shiva, The Glacian, I command you to wait for the choice of the crystal before expending any more of yourself on a pointless endeavor. No. More. Healing.”

Because he knew, no matter what he said, Ardyn would not run. Not from this. All Noctis could do was try to stymie the negative effects Ardyn took upon his shoulder like a proud mantle that was slowly choking him to death with the weight of it.

Ardyn stared at him in disbelief, eyeing the sword, then the grave expression on the revenette’s face. Then he laughed helplessly, a twinge of despair seeping in, black veins crawling up his neck. Noctis twitched at the sight but held his ground, burying the almost overwhelming distress that urged him to check on the man.

“You would bar me from the one thing I have dedicated my life to? Izunia,” Ardyn trailed off, jaw opening and closing multiple times. “Why?”

“Not forever,” Noctis finally sighed, dropping the sword tip to the ground. “Just until the crystal chooses. Without the power of the crystal to support you, you are succumbing to the effects of scourge, Ardyn. I have seen it travel your veins and stain your eyes. With each passing healing your recovery time grows longer and longer. Please…”

With a slump to his shoulders and a defeated bow of the head, Ardyn agreed. Noctis unfortunately could not comfort his companion with a solid time. Astrals did not view time the same as mortals. All the Glacian knew was _soon_.

Soon, thankfully, was only a few days later because Ardyn, despite seemingly vaguely healthier physically, was starting mentally degrade. That temper that was unleashed upon Somnus surfaced and was quite often aimed at Noctis. Not that he minded (well, he did but he could take it). Better him than the innocent villagers that were housing them. Before anything could get too bad, a guardsmen showed up with a general announcement that if Ardyn was there, he was being summoned to the Crystal Tower.

It was time. Noctis had a great plan. All he had to do was prevent Aera’s death so Ardyn didn’t trigger the scourge running through his veins and make the crystal reject him. Simple.

Except only nobles were allowed into the tower. 

Okay, the first hurdle. He could overcome that easily but it would mean outing himself as an Astral Blessed. That… was not exactly what he wanted to deal with stuck in this time but- Ardyn was more important.

“You will let me in,” he commanded, Shiva pushing her mark into visibility on his forehead as he summoned his Engine Blade again.

 _A worthy cause to be seen,_ Shiva said, prowling in the back of his mind.

They didn’t bother him again after that. Well, mostly. Their stares and whispers followed him and Ardyn’s solemnity was briefly broken by amusement when he noticed how Noctis tried to hide behind him to avoid their gazes.

There is a saying that Prompto once laughed about, because Ignis was always trying to plan ahead, that plans do not survive contact with the enemy. That was most often true, which is why simple plans were best. Noctis tried to keep his plan simple; stay by Ardyn's side to prevent the entire fight in the first place. Unfortunately, it didn’t survive contact with Somnus who loudly declared that as an Astral Blessed he should have a spot of honor by the Crystal and the throne. That wasn’t the point that everything started falling apart. No, that was still a good thing he’d thought, because it put him closer to Aera. Ardyn was more than capable of taking care of himself. (He'd had a few day to recover from the scourge, after all. Even if that amount of time wasn't ideal.)

Until he wasn’t.

It was like watching a half remembered scene from a movie playing out in front of him. Somnus was able to shove a spear straight through his elder brother’s gut and Aera, able to swerve around Gilgamesh’s hand, was heading straight for the two brother’s about to meet her demise.

Noctis was almost too late. If Gilgamesh had been any faster, he might have grabbed the ravenette, preventing him from warping over and taking the blade straight in the juncture of his neck, the metal getting stuck somewhere around his upper rib cage. He couldn’t really feel the pain to be honest, it being covered by a numbing cold that was sweeping outwards from his blood and cracking the blade with the temperature.

“Traitor,” Noctis gargled, Shiva’s voice booming in the back of his head. “Kinslayer.”

“Stop it,” Aera, who had just reached them, eyes wide and frightened, cried; tugging ineffectually against Somnus broad arm, spatters of blood marring her pretty perfection. “Please, stop it!”

“May you find no peace, may your guilt devour you,” Noctis continued, channeling the Astral’s voice, frost creeping from between his lips and turning them blue.

Somnus only stared, ocean blue eyes wide with fright, unable to pull his sword from the body it was stuck in. The man let the it go and took one step back, ignoring the petite woman that was trying to tug him further away. From behind him, Noctis could hear Ardyn’s ragged breathing, and small choking sobs. There was a hand clenching in his shirt and he turned from the duplicitous Lucis Caelum to the selfless one, sword still stuck in his shoulder.

Hovering over him like this, Shiva was surprisingly silent, his mind seemingly his own for the first time in ages. It felt empty but freeing. Everything he would do from here on out would be his own actions, no divine intervention.

“Ardyn,” he breathed softly, hopefully. “Ardyn. Grant me one boon?”

“What would you ask o-of me,” the man gasped, still clutching his abdomen where the spear was protruding. 

“One kiss.”

“What,” the prince gasped, honey eyes wide.

“One kiss,” Noctis begged. “I have and always will love you but I know your heart does not belong to me.” Shiva whispered in his mind, a voice fainter than he’d ever heard it. It surprised she was actually still there, but he listened. Time was almost up, the wound he had taken too fatal. “I have suffered in silence, living bittersweet moments too precious for me to let go no matter how they cut me. Please. All I ask is one kiss, before you ascend the throne and marry your fiance.”

Somnus and Aera were saying something behind them but he had eyes only for the man in front of him. He hoped saving Aera had been enough. 

“You love me…?”

“Since the moment you healed me with no motive, and took me with you with nothing but concern for me. A heart so selfless… I only wish- No. This is fine. Please, Ardyn?”

The man’s eyes closed, tight lines of pain on his face, as he sat in contemplation. Slowly, he nodded. 

Noctis smiled, pressing their lips together lightly. While one hand froze and crushed the spear in a flash, the other crushed an elixir that he had slowly crafted through trial and error in secret -this era not having created the recipe- so that the man was healed. Ardyn pulled away first, eyeing him with an unreadable look in his pained eyes.

“Stop it!”

There was a soft squelch, and the feeling of warmth overtaking the numb in his abdomen. Ardyn looked shocked and dismayed and… glancing behind him, he could see why. Area was standing there, arms spread in a protective gesture. In front of her stood Somnus, another blade in hand (smaller but no less dangerous) that disappeared from view. He assumed it was the blade stuck through both him and the Oracle, tying them together for a brief moment before the younger prince yanked it out.

“Idiot girl,” he snapped before turning to the cowering nobleman. 

This speech. He’d seen this speech before. But no! No, no, no! He was supposed to have changed it. He glanced down at Ardyn, watching the Scourge spread as his emotions ran wild.

This wasn’t right.

He was supposed to… change things…

Noctis choked, ice spreading quickly from his abdomen. Shiva’s sobs were loud but familiar. Like he’d seen it before, like watching the same movie over and over again and knowing the sad scene was going to happen but still not being able to stop yourself. And the memories… _The memories were different._ Overall nothing changed… except Noctis was there, watching himself. 

**_Nothing changed_ **

There was one final anguished intake of air before Noctis froze solid, skin turning blue beneath the ice, hair melding into white strands. But he could still _see everything_.

Ardyn watched, horrified. He watched as Aera slumped to the ground, bleeding profusely. He watched Izunia (Beloved Izunia who’d stood directly at his side, _loving him_ and expecting nothing in return, who’d held him and cried for him, who’d _died_ for him…) freeze over and shatter as Somnus swung his sword again. He watched everything he held dear crumble before him, until he wasn’t watching anymore. 

He was moving.

Noctis, incorporeal and immobile, saw it all and howled silently.

* * *

He didn’t know how long he was there in the ‘ether’. Maybe it truly was as long as the two thousand years it would take to catch up or maybe it was only seconds in which it took Shiva to whip him back to his own time. What he _did_ know is the memories that he could not view in totality before were suddenly forefront and alive. He witnessed Shiva’s conception alongside the rest of the Hexatheon and he witnessed a divine being -either long dead or galaxies away- task them with the protection of the planet. 

Shiva despised mortals, at first, thinking them bumbling newborns stuffed full of hatred and destruction. It was interesting to learn that it was Ifrit, the Glacian’s first Beloved, that was the one who first showed her another side to humanity; a softer side full of fiery passion and kindness. And even more interesting was that, while Ifrit did actually turn on mankind for their slight, Bahamut sought to destroy all lifeforms on the planet alongside the gods. Still, sought to destroy them all actually. The Bladekeeper was encouraging the prophecy so that Ardyn may enact eternal darkness on the world and kill everything in the process. Only once the decimation of life was assured, would the draconic Astral allow Noctis to complete his ‘duty’. That sacrifice alone would allow the Draconian to summon enough power to use Terraflare, a disturbingly terrifying final attack that would guarantee the death of anything that might have had a chance of survival.

If he had a body, he’d have probably vomited multiple times.

“Is this why you seek to defy him, Shiva?”

Her voice, so much stronger here, echoed through his entire form in response. _The Bladekeeper seeks only folly and it will lead to ruinous consequences. Eos unable to sustain life, will be but a husk. A broken rock amongst other failed siblings._

Noctis sighed (as much as he could sigh here anyway). His heart, though not material anymore, still ached for Ardyn and his friends. If there was no planet, there would be no humanity. His friends gone, his heart cut from his chest. The King of Lucis would not stand for it.

_Is that your answer, O’ King of stone?_

“I will defy Bahamut's prophecy. Reject his idea of fate,” he declared, voice echoing into the vastness of the ether. “And drag everyone kicking and screaming with me if I have to.”

_Then let our Covenant be sealed._

A blinding pain and-

Noctis shot up with a gasp, his lungs aching and spasming causing him to cough uncontrollably.

“Whoa, dude! Noctis, it’s okay!! You’re safe, buddy!”

Despite the raucous hacking while trying to get his breathing under control, he heard it. The old familiar sounds of modern Lucian on his best friend’s tongue. It took a moment to place the words, so used to the ancient dialect he’d been using for almost a year that the Glacian had shoved into his head. When he finally worked out what his friend had said... The tears of pain that gathered in the corners of his eyes were soon free flowing.

He was _home._

With his friends.

In modern Lucius.

With-

_A Chance has been gifted._

Oh, shit. With a slightly insane Ardyn…

Noctis’ heart skipped painfully and he sucked in a slow deep breath to calm himself. “Prompto,” he queried roughly.

“Yea, buddy,” the blonde said, voice a little wobbly. 

A warm hand settled on his shoulder and he forced himself to look up and take in their surroundings. It was small and cramped, as expected of the caravan that was (presumably) by Wiz’s outpost. Prompto was in front of him, eyes a little red rimmed but with a big cheesy grin on his lips.

“You okay?” Noctis gave a tired nod and settled more firmly into the small cot. It was so much more comfortable than anything they’d had back then. “Man, you gotta tell me what happened! We totally followed you to Gentiana and then she just poked you and you- you like- you flashed for a moment and then turned blue and your hair was white! It was crazy! Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Blue,” he muttered perplexed.

“Yea, like your skin was blue, dude! Then it all just seemed to melt… well, not off, but up? It was like watching color get sucked up into something but we couldn’t see what it was because you were still facing Gentiana. Then you fainted and she was gone and we were all going out of our minds!!”

“I’m sorry,” Noctis whispered. He couldn’t exactly stop whatever Shiva did but he felt bad for worrying his friends. Speaking of… Should he tell them about his experience? He should, right? They would help him.

In the end, after being mother-henned by Ignis and given a rough slap on the back by Gladio, Noctis did decide to tell them. He remembered exactly how Ardyn fared as a one-man army and Noctis was not afraid of accepting help. Not after that disastrous ordeal.

Their reactions were somewhat in line with what he thought they would be. It had been about a year since he remembered interacting with them, after all, so he wasn’t expecting them to be perfect. Surprisingly, he remembered more than he thought, especially with all the new knowledge lurking in the back of his head, having had time to soak in the important bits.

“I know this is going to sound crazy guys, but just- sit tight. And hold questions for the end please,” were the first words out of his mouth as they gathered around a mini campfire Gladio had started in front of the caravan. It was already dark out, having been about sunset when he’d awoken (sending Iggy into a cooking frenzy) and the flood lights were on around them. It was strangely comforting having those versus nothing compared to the olden days. There was a warm bowl of stew in his hands that kept him grounded, and he savored the smell, basking in the knowledge that it was Iggy who cooked it

After finishing his food, he started his tale.

Prompto, predictably, couldn’t keep his loud noises of disbelief and excitement to himself but despite Noctis’ expectations, did manage to keep all questions to himself. Gladio, on the other hand, could not. That had been a little surprising but in a show of learned maturity, Noctis only waited him out, staring silently until the larger man had settled back into his camper chair. Ignis, kept quiet, intense olive eyes analyzing his every move and picking apart every word that came from his mouth. He’d never exactly realized before how intense Iggy could be but it was honestly really comforting not having to be the one doing everything again. The Advisor’s advice was near invaluable to him and Noctis would never let it go unappreciated again (but he still wasn’t eating those veggies no matter what anyone said).

When he finished, hours later, their campfire having dimmed to embers, he asked if they would help him.

“Well, duh,” Prompted snorted, rubbing his hands over his arms; that action more telling of his anxiety than the strength in his voice.

“We follow you wherever you may go,” Ignis declared solemnly, eyes still fervidly looking him over.

“As if you could go anywhere without us, Prince Charmless,” Gladio guffawed, his eyes heavy and questioning still. There was also a slump to his shoulders that Noctis equated to the fact that Gladio hadn’t been there for him in the past. The Shield was meant to follow the King everywhere.

“Good. I don’t think I’d be able to do it alone. Having to watch Ardyn- it… it was terrifying.”

Prompto shifted, scuffing one foot through the dirt. “To think that creepy Chancellor has such a horrible story. It’s like the worst villain backstory ever. In the, uh, tragic way...”

“Noct.” He glanced back over to his Advisor. “Do you love him?”

“What?” He hadn’t exactly mentioned _that_ part of his story. How in the hells did Iggy guess that?

“I have never seen you talk about someone quite the way you do with this man. This Ardyn Lucis Caelum. And I… don’t want to see you hurt. The way he is now-”

Noctis scrunched his eyes shut trying to ignore the dull pains in his chest. His hands came up to scrub softly against his eyelids, tears pricking in the corners again. “I know.”

He definitely knew. Ardyn had not only suffered millenia of torture but his mind had been twisted by the hallucinogenic affect of the scourge and that bastard Verstael Besithia. Which reminded him… Prompto needed to hear about that and he needed to know that Noctis was never going to abandon him for something so silly as how he was born. But that could wait until they were alone.

The four of them sat at the little campfire far longer than they really should have, talking and answering questions. Dawn was already painting the sky and Noctis felt exhausted and wrung out. He was probably going to sleep all day. He couldn’t wait.

* * *

Two days of extra rest was probably not what Ignis wanted for him considering, at this point, it was still likely that the Imperials had the Regalia. He had needed it, though. While physically in almost perfect shape, mentally he was toasted. He was still trying to assimilate and hang onto a lot of the important information from the ether, dreaming about it in constant nightmares.

On the third day, Prompto woke up with a shriek startling everyone else as well. Gentiana was standing in the middle of the camper, a serene smile on her face.

“Holy shit,” Gladio panted. “Damn Astrals! I guess you’re Shiva then?”

“To have those who would stand by your side is a blessing even I could not grant. You are fortunate, O’ King. But now the time is nigh. Bridging Heaven and Earth it strikes, the Storm’s ephemeral yet eternal light. To the light must go the King. The Oracle’s call awakens the gods, that their blessings may find the king. Follow the Stormsender’s revelations and receive judgment.”

“Well, aren’t you a chatty one,” Gladio grunted, a bit miffed his question was ignored. He swung his legs onto the floor and Noctis huffed at him as the warmth was dragged away.

Gentiana's smile grew a bit wider and… was that mischief sparkling in her eyes when she opened them? She was quiet still.

Noctis snorted, a smirk pulling at the edge of his lips. “C’mon. I know you can speak somewhat normally. You want me to go after Ramuh? That’s going to help?”

“In ages past four could not conquer one, Majesty. We need all five.”

“Five? But Ifrit…”

“Indeed. A harder path the King doth walk. But greater rewards will he reap.”

Then she was gone and the strangely silent retinue were up and bombarding him with more questions. Noctis could only groan and try to explain.

“And it all comes back to the Chancellor,” Ignis sighed, running a hand through his unstyled hair. He was sitting half propped on the cot he’d shared with Prompto (as Gladio had been feeling especially protective ever since he’d gotten back).

“Well… I think it comes back to the Bladekeeper,” Prompto muttered nervously, shifting his crossed legs and tapping a rhythm up and down one of them. “I mean, He sort of started it in the first place and He made that prophecy or whatever. The one that’s supposed to see Noctis dead? So, I think Creepy Chancellor just needs some like- help.”

Gladio grinned, pulling on his shirt quickly and plopping back down next to where Noctis was still half laying in the second cot. “That was insightful coming from you.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Prompto is right,” the Advisor sighed, cutting off the budding banter war. “But getting into a battle between gods. Noctis, are you sure about this?”

The young king rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I can back out now, Iggs.”

“I suppose…”

“Well, how ‘bout we listen to his reason Iggy,” Gladio hummed, leaning back on one arm so he could look Noctis directly in the eye. There was demand clear in his whiskey colored eyes which made Noctis huff again.

“You guys,” he complained. But looking around they were all staring at him intently. Ugh, he just needed to ignore the warm and fuzzies they gave him. “Fine. At first it was mostly about saving Ardyn because Shiva’s memories focused on him with little flashes of Luna thrown in for variety's sake… After I was stuck in the ether, I saw more. Way more than some guy like me should and I just- It’s not even about Ardyn anymore even though I’m still determined to save him. It’s about the planet and the people. What kind of King would I be if I just let everyone die?”

After a pause Prompto couldn’t help but blurt out, “A dead one.”

Everyone groaned, hiding the laughter shining in their eyes. His answer seemed to satisfy his Shield and Advisor, though, (Gladio’s smile wide and approval clear in his gaze) for they started discussing their next moves. Obviously, the first step would be going to get Ramuh’s Covenant. Then they would need the Regalia so they could make their way to a boat and get to Altissia where Luna was planning to awaken the last Astral, Leviathan. After that, they could try to tackle the Ardyn problem.

What was that saying about plans again? Oh yea. They don’t seem to work. Especially when Noctis is involved. They got Ramuh on their side very easily, the Fulgarian even rumbling his agreement with Shiva’s plan inside his mind (thanks for the migraine, he _really_ appreciated it). Then they tried tracking down their car at an Imperial base. Taking down an Imperial base with four people wasn’t exactly easy but Ramuh definitely helped when they got swarmed by mechs.

Ravus, reminding Noctis heavily of Somnus, intervened right when they were about to make their way out. He kept spouting petty lines meant to dig under his skin.

“Nothing of the consequences,” Noctis spat, holding still against the sword point at his neck. “You mean that it’s killing Luna?”

Ravus paused, ice blue eyes narrowing at him. “Perhaps not so ignorant. And yet still pathetically weak.”

“I’ll show you weak,” he muttered before continuing louder, “You’re just an imperial rat, following orders to hunt down your own sister!”

“I do not follow! I command,” Ravus hissed dropping the sword so he could latch his other hand around Noctis’ neck. Noctis reacted instinctively, lessons from Cor about self-defense responding before his brain even processed it. He tensed his neck, grabbed hold of the armored gauntlet, focusing on getting a grip on the thumb and wrenched his head sideways while also palm smacking the elbow joint with his other hand.

It somewhat worked. While Noctis was able to free his neck and not get gouged by the nasty looking sharp tip of the digit, he failed to cause any harm to Ravus by trying to snap his elbow. He did, in fact, cause his own wrist pain instead because that armor was made of something else! Gladio, thankfully, took the opportunity to wrench Noctis away and insert himself between them.

Ravus, still frowning at Noctis, eventually shifted his eyes -and sneer- onto the Shield. “Ah, the King’s sworn shield.”

“You better believe it,” the larger man growled, settling into a ready stance.

“A weak shield protects naught,” Ravus huffed. 

His unarmored arm swung the longsword he was wielding out and around so it came down with bruising force. That Gladio barely caught on his giant buster blade and was subsequently knocked harshly backwards into the Regalia was a bit of a surprise. Exactly how strong was the Oracle’s brother? He’d obviously worked his way up Imperial command somehow. A strong and -though he wouldn’t admit it aloud- tactically smart man such as Ravus Nox Fleuret would be an amazing ally in the fight if only he could get over his stupid hatred of Noctis.

Noctis couldn’t really stand for the attack on his friend, though. Now was not the time to talk to Ravus. It was the time to get out with their car and regroup to try to continue their plan. So he summoned the Weapons of Kings (a pitifully small amount compared to the amount he knew Ardyn had collected in his many years) and growled, “You wanna go? Bring it.”

“Should the Chosen King fall, that too is fate,” Ravus murmured, almost sounding contemplative.

Did this asshole only think about fate? Well, sucks to be him, Noctis was going to defy it and then shove it pettily in the other man’s pale face. Before he could say anything to that effect, there was a tinkling shatter of warping, and Noctis flinched, weapons automatically aiming at the new threat.

“I’d say that’s far enough.”

Oh no. That voice. Noctis absolutely dreaded looking over but it was inevitable, his eyes moving of their own accord, tracking the sauntering figure of the Chancellor as he casually inserted himself into the standoff. Ignis who had been closest backed away, closer to Noctis, eyes never leaving the man as he let out a low worried, “Noctis…”

They all knew what kind of threat he posed now. Before, being a surprisingly helpful Chancellor hadn’t been too bad as long as he stayed out of the way. Ignis had, of course, been worried like the good Advisor he was, but Ardyn had only been a side problem then. Now, he was the main one.

And he was right there. Close enough to step forward and touch. Heart fluttering beneath his ribs, Noctis hadn’t even realized he’d moved until a warm hand settled on his shoulder and Prompto appeared right next to him, lips set in a straight line.

“A hand, highness?” His voice was still smooth, a low baritone that was soothing to the ears but there was something about it now that set him on edge. A sort of mocking that he’d only previously heard in Somnus’ voice. His face was… thinner as if he was half starved constantly but the scruff was still the same as ever; perhaps a bit shorter. And his hair- it was shorter as well, curling around his face in wavy locks now, but it was also more of a purplish red instead of brown. His eyes were gold through and through and sharp enough to cut through steel. Just as he remembered, Noctis felt that stabbing pain in his chest that had always come from loving Ardyn with no hope of it ever being returned.

It was the raising eyebrows and curious glint in gold eyes that made Noctis realize that everyone was staring at him now, waiting for an answer.

And well, like an idiot (that had mostly vanished within the last year but decided to return with a vengeance) he blurted, “You’re a shitty kisser. We should try again.”

There were multiple responses from his friends -even Ravus’ response was in there somewhere- but he drowned them out opting instead to drink in the utter incredulity that painted itself across the older man’s face.

“Excuse me,” Ardyn spluttered, completely thrown, his almost invisible guard dropped instantly.

Noctis already fully committed to the path he’d set himself on (by being a dumbass) soldiered on, “You heard me. Your boon sucked. I didn’t even get to enjoy it. That means we have to do it again, Ardyn Lucis Caelum.”

There was a cacophony of noise behind him, even a hand trying to pull him back as he took a step forward almost directly into the Chancellor’s space. He ignored them all. Instead, he watched the dawning realization in the man’s eyes and then the insanity set in, washing over his face in an unnerving display of mania.

(Oooh, that was like a sucker punch to the gut.)

Ardyn’s laugh started off low as he covered his eyes before building and building until his head was thrown back, one hand still over his face, and his voice booming from his gut in maniacal laughter. “Of course. Of course,” he wheezed between guffaws.

Then Ardyn’s hands were clawing into his shoulders faster than Noctis could react, a red armiger surrounding them to keep the others away (wow, okay yea that was a lot of weapons…) as he snarled, “Of course.”

The Chancellor was right up in Noctis face, but it did little to hide the tar like tears and black veins that writhed across his skin like living ivy. It especially didn’t hide the completely black sclera that highlighted the murderous intent in that golden eyed scrutiny. Shiva’s memories of the look -while unnerving- had absolutely nothing on the choking feeling of madness and terror it provoked. Noctis couldn't help the tremors that built in his limbs, couldn’t stop the feeling of being prey hunted by a predator.

“And would you kiss me now, Izu-ni-a,” Ardyn purred, his tongue practically caressing the syllables of his previously chosen name with cruelty and malice. (And… wow… had Ardyn chosen that last name because of him, hadn't he? And Noctis had used it because of Ardyn? What the fuck kind of timey wimey bullshit-)

Black ichor dripped from his lip and the ravenette couldn’t help but eye it warily, his mind on overdrive. He was here to _save_ Ardyn but was he even at a point that he could be saved? Ardyn had been a badass in the past when he wasn’t wholly weakened by Scourge, but now that the plague was bolstering him, how monstrous would he be? Could Noctis even fight him, physically or emotionally? Did he even have to fight him?

Once again, his mouth took control (his heart already knowing the answer), “Yeah.”

Before he could think better of it, he smashed his lips against Ardyn’s own, feeling the chapped quality that hadn’t changed in millennia as he ran his tongue against the utterly nasty oily rot that was on the man’s lower lip. It took no more than a second of prolonged contact before something happened. A tingling quality settled in his bones, vibrating beneath his skin on the verge of being unpleasant. From his chest, came a deep rumble, from his head a static very alike electricity, and from his lips an all-consuming numbing frost.

Ardyn tried to yank back, but Noctis was committed, knowing this was important without knowing the details of why. He just knew he couldn’t let Ardyn leave, not this time. His arms wrapped around the man’s neck, knocking his hat off and exposing his face to the sunlight. Against his lips, the King felt a muffled scream and then-

Earth spiked beneath their feet forming a dome of shade around them, lightning formed in the clear skies striking directly against the two entwined bodies cutting through the earth with ease, as frost bled from his own mouth into the Chancellor’s own when Noctis forced the man's mouth open with his tongue. The magic that followed the lightning strike made everything around them stand on end, loose pebbles floating in the air around them (Noctis even swore later that his feet left the ground). It built and built, creating a pressure not unlike Ardyn’s previous intensity just without the violent quality. Instead, it was more primal, a power beyond the comprehension of mortals -though Noctis came damn close-, that wrapped them in its hold, judging and intent. Finally, when it felt as if they would die from the very strain, Ardyn arched, succeeding in pulling away from Noctis as he purged vile scourge from his very being, his mouth being the spout. The magic snapped it up and tore it apart on the molecular level until it was all destroyed and then it abruptly faded.

The Ancient Prince and the Modern King collapsed to the ground, panting and aching; little twitches giving away their trembling muscles.They were still inside the dome, the shade feeling absolutely fantastic against the cooling sweat.

A few beats of silence followed until Ardyn croaked, so painfully hopeful that it almost made Noctis wince, “Izunia?”

“Ardyn,” he returned softly, not sure how much he could say given the exertion it took to even open his mouth right now.

“How?”

Noctis took a moment to work up the needed effort before replying, “Shiva’s Blessed… remember?”

Ardyn choked on a trembling laugh, his lungs unable to support such stress. “Ow.”

“Agreed.”

* * *

Noctis didn’t remember being pulled out of the dome by his friends but Ardyn did and while they sat in the private hospital room in Lestallum the man took great pleasure in retelling -in that unfairly sexy voice of his- how the ravenette had slurred insults at Ravus until the platinum blonde had disgustedly agreed to follow them (Ardyn’s somewhat nonsensical order and the intervention of the Astrals had helped too his friends had told him later). Still, they were stuck in a hospital, awake in the dead of the night because they’d practically slept all day, and had no one but each other to talk to. Which is how Noctis ended up talking about Shiva and being sent back in time.

“I may be her Blessed or whatever… but Ardyn, everything she did was for you.” Said man blinked, his tired gaze staring uncomprehendingly into the young king’s eyes. “She’s only loved three beings in her entire life. One is Ifrit, one is Luna, and last is you. She saw how unfair it all was, how the future ended in nothing but destruction at your hands, a twisted shell of the brilliant healer you used to be…”

“She told you this?” Every inch of Ardyn’s being matched the incredulity in his tone.

Noctis snorted, “Of course not. She can’t speak straight to save her life. No, I was… gifted her memories when I was sent back.”

“You knew…” Disbelief faded into shame and despair. 

“I knew,” Noctis responded, head dipping towards his collarbone. “I tried to change it. To save Aera but… it still happened. I thought I’d- I’d lost you when I came back.” Tears started to drip from his eyes in a steady flow. Damn the ancient times for getting his face used to crying. He didn’t _want_ to cry anymore but he couldn’t help it, couldn’t turn off the faucets his tear ducts had become. “And I planned to try anyway, even though that version of you terrified me because I-”

It was there his throat closed, the confession clogging his airways. It had been so easy before, he’d saved (or so he thought) Ardyn and Aera and was about to die. Why couldn’t he say it now? He still meant it! He still felt it! It just wouldn’t come out.

“Noctis?”

He wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass him by. He wasn't! He knew for a fact that his friends were going to swarm him after this, never leaving him alone enough to talk to Ardyn like this. It was a miracle he’d even been left alone with him now.

“Iloveyou,” he spat quickly, stumbling over the words. Then he slowed to a near crawl, the words torn from his mouth in a whisper so quiet the Chancellor had to lean closer with furrowed brows, “I have and always will.”

When the response came, it sounded pained, “I love you too, Noctis… but not like that. Not yet.”

He almost didn’t catch the last part but it was enough to spark that dying ember in his chest. Ardyn didn’t have to love him immediately. They had time now. A lot of planning to do; Ifrit to cleanse, Leviathan to awaken, Bahamut to smack into ground. Things could be worked through. He would be there for Ardyn again (like he was letting the older man _leave_ any time soon… yeah right.) like in times past and they would be okay. 

He would make sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> That's it folks! I really hope you enjoyed this because I had one hell of a time writing it! It really got those creative juices flowing~ Please tell me what you think (Give me that sweet sweet validation!) or even leave a kudo. I love either!!
> 
> Original Prompt:
> 
> Time fix-it/Shiva!Noctis  
> Shiva is dying, maybe one of the Astrals attacked her or something, and she and Noctis merge to save her life. You could have Noctis going back in time to try and keep all of this from happening, or dealing with it in modern times. Shiva can still be alive and just be a voice in the back of Noctis's head, or maybe she and Noctis are completely one. I've always loved fanfics where Shiva loves Ardyn (platonically, romantically) and so maybe her love influences Noctis and he falls in love with him as he's trying to help him with the Scourge. Maybe Noctis fixes it, maybe he doesn't. Maybe he's at least able to keep Ardyn from getting bitter with the Astrals, if he goes into the past. If he can't stop it completely, you get bonus points if you do a scene where he goes back to present times and Ardyn is waiting for him, having been waiting for him and Shiva to bond for so many years.


End file.
